Sunshine.

Much to my panadera’s disgust today started grey. She takes it as a personal insult, especially if the weather forecast is for sunshine as it was today. Well, the sun managed to come out later. By mid afternoon it was lovely. 

Yesterday was blue and bright all day until well into the evening when I walked up to the Castro Park. There were of young people up there taking photos of each other and making lots of noise in that way they do. You know the kind of thing: protesting loudly when someone won’t stay still to go on a photo and squeals from the girls when the boys climb up to somewhere precarious to have their picture taken in some daring pose. Such gender stereotyping! I was tempted to give them a lecture, especially the girls. Why didn’t they do more climbing and less squealing? I have to admire the Spanish ability to create a party. Some of the young people had hung streamers in the trees, making a simple picnic into a party. For once they had respected the rights of others to some (relative) quiet and hadn’t set up music players. What a surprise! 

The juggling beggars were out were out and about. Like lizards they come out when the sun shines. They must think that the sun will make people look kindly on them as they prance about and toss their batons on the pedestrian crossings and then ask for money just before the lights change. They probably need to study the pattern of traffic light changes so that they know just when to beg. You see, even begging, serious begging anyway, needs some planning and forethought. 

And then, later, I read an article online about the Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen, who was in “The Killing” and “Borgen”, two very successful Scandinavian TV series. It turns out that he studied in a kind of circus and drama school where he learnt juggling and fire-eating and suchlike tricks. Then he spent several years travelling around Europe earning his living with his trade before he decided to become an actor. So maybe the traffic light jugglers have a future after all, other than being run down by frustrated motorists. 

Of course, we should be careful not to assume that all street performers are no-hopers. I know for a fact that many of the buskers in central Manchester are students at various HE establishments in the city. The daughter of a friend of mine used to make quite a lot of pocket money playing in a string quartet on Market Street. And she was in the English National Youth Orchestra. 

The ones who play the recorder or the penny whistle tunelessly, however, don’t get quite such a friendly reception from me